Emergency tracheostomy apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for performing emergency tracheostomies, by inserting the apparatus into the trachea of a patient, the apparatus including an air delivery tube, having a body portion, a first upper threaded end, a second lower end, and a bore extending throughout the body portion to accommodate air flow through the air delivery tube; a trocar member including a body portion insertable through the bore of the air delivery tube, with a pointed end partially protruding out of the second lower end of the tube for piercing the tracheal wall during insertion of a portion of the air delivery tube into the trachea; an extendor portion engageable to the first upper end of the air delivery tube after the tube has been inserted into the trachea, and the trocar member has been removed from the air delivery tube, for providing a point of delivering air flow through the air delivery tube into the trachea of a patient above the tracheal wall; the air delivery tube and trocar insertable in the extendor member and sealed therein when not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to emergency medical procedures. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus which can beassembled to provide a device for performing an emergency tracheostomyon a patient and establishing an oxygen path to the lungs manually orsecurable to a pump apparatus.

2. General Background

Quite often, emergency medical procedures must be performed onindividuals in public, when no sophisticated equipment is available. Oneof the most common medical emergencies is when a person inadvertentlylodges a mass of food, such as meat, or other foreign object in hiswindpipe, and is rendered unable to breathe, or suffers a reaction andinternal swelling of the windpipe impedes or interrupts airflow to thelungs. The Heimlich maneuver has become a very popular method ofdislodging foreign objects from a person's windpipe. However, quiteoften the foreign object of mass of food is so firmly lodged that theHeimlich maneuver will not succeed. Likewise, when a person suffers areaction, and internal swelling occurs, the Heimlich maneuver, ofcourse, is of no avail. Therefore other emergency procedures must beundertaken to restore the person's breathing and save his life.

Additionally, the emergency medical procedure is required when a patientsuffers from a heart attack or other emergency which interrupts thebreathing of the patient, and the patient goes into cardiopulmonaryarrest. It is necessary, therefore, when this occurs, that againemergency procedures be undertaken to restore the person's breathingwhile waiting for the insertion of an endotracheal tube which wouldprovide a permanent source of oxygen into the lungs.

A very common procedure which is done on an emergency basis in order tosupply air to a persons lungs on an emergency basis is a tracheostomy. Atracheostomy is a procedure which should be performed by trained medicalpersonnel. If a person involved in such a medical situation isfortunate, there may be a doctor or the like person available to performthe procedure. What is involved is the making of a small incision in thewindpipe directly below the larynx, so as to expose the windpipe, sothat air may flow into the person's lungs, through the incision, untilthe foreign object is dislodged, or the windpipe is restored to itsnormal functioning. In most cases, it is preferable that a tube beinserted in the incision, and down the windpipe to assure that the airflow is unimpeded until further medical procedures can be undertaken.

The difficulty in undertaking this procedure as described is multi-fold.First, the windpipe wall must be sliced by a razor or scalpel in orderto expose the pipe to air flow or the introduction of a tube, causing asevere loss of blood. Secondly, following the incision with a scalpel orother blade, a plastic tube should be inserted into the incision anddown the windpipe, perhaps causing more trauma to the patient. Thirdly,the person suffering the emergency must be fortunate enough to have amedical person available who possesses a scalpel or sharp, hopefullysterile blade on his person, and likewise, possesses a tube to insertinto the incision. Such a combination, in all likelihood would be rare,and the person would have to be exposed to yet more trauma andunsanitary conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems in the art ina simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is an apparatusfor performing emergency tracheostomics, by inserting the apparatus intothe trachea of a patient, the apparatus including an air delivery tube,having a body portion, a first upper threaded end, a second lower end,and a bore extending throughout the body portion to accommodate air flowthrough the air delivery tube; a trocar member including a body portioninsertable through the bore of the air delivery tube, with a pointed endpartially protruding out of the second lower end of the tube forpiercing the tracheal wall during insertion of a portion of the airdelivery tube into the trachea; an extendor portion engageable to thefirst upper end of the air conveying tube after the tube has beeninserted into the trachea, and the trocar member has been removed fromthe air delivery tube, for providing a point of delivering air flowthrough the air delivery tube into the trachea of a patient above thetracheal wall; the air delivery tube and trocar insertable in theextender member and scaled therein when not in use.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to providean apparatus for performing emergency tracheostomies in the event that aperson goes into cardiopulmonary arrest;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor performing emergency tracheostomies which eliminates the need for ascalpel, and the need for introducing a tube into the windpipe followingan incision by the scalpel;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor performing emergency tracheostomics which utilizes a single needlepuncture into the skin and windpipe of the person, thus eliminating theuse of a scalpel and incision;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatusfor performing emergency tracheostomies which is extendable outward andaway from the person's throat so that a doctor or the like may blow intothe apparatus manually, or may attach an air pump line thereto forproviding a flow of air to the person;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an emergencytracheostomy apparatus which utilizes a single barrel of a needle inorder to make the opening in the windpipe wall while providing a borefor allowing airflow into the windpipe;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an emergencytracheostomy apparatus which, following its insertion into the windpipeof a person, does not have to be removed from the windpipe in order toallow an endotracheal tube to be inserted through the windpipe on a morepermanent basis;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an emergencytracheostomy apparatus which can be carried in one's pocket, easilyassembled for use, and easily restored for non-use by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the presentinvention, reference should be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like partsare given like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall perspective view of the preferredembodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment of theapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the preferred embodiment of theapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an overall exploded view of the components of thepreferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the insertion of the apparatus of the presentinvention into a trachea of a patient;

FIG. 7 illustrates air being administered manually into the trachea of apatient through the apparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates air being administered via an air line into thetrachea of the patient through the apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 through 8 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the assemblycomprising the apparatus of the present invention by the numeral 10. Ingeneral, the principal components comprising the assembly 10 wouldinclude a principal air delivery tube 12, a trocar member 28 and anextendor 40. Turning now to the structure and functioning of theseindividual components, and as illustrated in the figures, the principalair delivery tube 12 would generally comprise an elongated shaft portion14, having an annular sidewall 16, a flat edge 18 on the first lower end20, and an enlarged housing 22 on the second upper end 24 of airdelivery tube 12. The enlarged housing 22 would further include athreaded inner wall (phantom lines 23), the function of which will bediscussed further. There is further provided a continuous bore 26through the entire air delivery tube 12, for transmitting fluids and gasor air therethrough during use.

As seen in the figures, there is provided a trocar member 28, having asolid elongated rod portion 30, which is slightly longer than the shaftportion 14 of air delivery tube 12. Rod portion 30 would be of acontinuous diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the bore26 through air delivery tube 12, so that the rod portion 30 would slideinto the bore 26 of air delivery tube 12, with the end 32 of rod portion30 protruding from the end 20 of air delivery tube 12. End 32 of rod 30would comprise a plurality of bevelled sides 34, defining point 38, soas to define a means for easily inserting the lower end 32 of rod 30into the trachea of a patient without having to properly align the end32 of rod 30 in a particular angular alignment. The second end 35 oftrocar member 28 comprises an enlarged portion 36, having an outerthreaded wall 37, and a top portion 39. The top 39 includes a bore 41therethrough for threading a key chain 45 (FIG. 2) or the like in orderto transport the assembly 10.

In order to complete the assembly, there would be further included athird portion to the assembly 10, which comprises an extender 40, whichincludes an elongated housing 42, having a lower threaded first end 44,an enlarged upper end 46, likewise defining an annular wall 48, defininga hollow interior 50. Hollow interior 50 continues through elongatedportion 42 to define a continuous bore 41 through extender 40. Theinterior of wall 48 would be threaded via threads (phantom line 49) toaccommodate the top 36 of trocar 28 which will be fully defined further.Dimensionally, the interior bore of extender 40 would be of sufficientdiameter to accommodate the shaft portion 14 of air delivery tube 12housing trocar member 28 therein as will be discussed further.

Turning now to the method of assembling the components of assembly 10,reference is made to FIGS. 1 through 4. As seen in exploded view in FIG.4, when assembly 10 is not in use, the shaft 14 of principal airdelivery tube 12 is slidably accommodated within the bore 52 of housing42, and the enlarged housing 22 of air delivery tube 12 is positionedwithin the enlarged upper end 42 of extender 40. The trocar member 28would then be slidably positioned within the bore 26 of principal airdelivery tube 12. At this point the upper threaded portion 36 of trocarmember 28 is threaded to the interior surface 49 of housing 42, so as todefine a sealed upper connection of the assembly 10, with the top 39 oftrocar member 28 defining a means to engage the key chain 45 throughbore 41 in order to carry the assembly 10. The lower end 44 of housing42 is then sealably close via a cap member 47 threaded to the lower end44 of housing 42, in order to complete the sealing of the trocar 28 andair delivery tube 12 within extender 40 while not in use, as seen inFIGS. 1 and 2.

Turning now to the functioning of assembly 10, reference is made toFIGS. 5 through 8. When a person is in need of a tracheostomy, asdiscussed earlier, the doctor or other medical person having theassembly 10 would threadably disengage the upper end 34 of trocar member28 from extender 40 and the lower cap 47 from the lower end 44 ofextender 40. The trocar member 28 and the principal air delivery tube 12would be removed from the extender 40, while the trocar member 28 isstill housed within air delivery tube 12. The air delivery tube 12,together with the trocar 28 extending through air delivery tube 12 wouldthen be inserted into the wall 51 of the trachea 55 of the person inneed, at an angle so as to provide that the angle of the position of theend 18 of air delivery tube 12 would be down toward the lungs, andprojecting away from the voice box. Again, it should be emphasized thatbecause the end 32 of trocar member 28 includes a plurality of beveledsides 34, to define point 35, the trocar 28 can be inserted quite easily(as seen in FIG. 5), without having to undertake any alignment of theend, as one would have to do should there only be a single beveled edge.During the time that the rod 30 is being fully inserted through thetracheal wall 51, the trocar member 28 would serve to disallow any fleshfrom clogging the bore 26 of the principal air delivery tribe 12, untilthe air delivery tube 12 is fully inserted through the tracheal wall 51,and extends into the air flow passage 53 through the trachea. As seen inthe FIGURES, once the air delivery tube 12 has been fully inserted intothe wall 51 of the trachea 55, there is still sufficient space withinthe windpipe to introduce an endotracheal tube through the patient'smouth into the windpipe and down into the lungs, without the airdelivery tube 12 blocking the introduction of that more permanent sourceof oxygen.

In FIG. 6, the trocar 28 would then be removed from the air deliverytube 12, so as to allow air to begin flowing to the patient's lungs,through the bore 26 within air delivery tube 12. The only remainingportion of air delivery tube 12 outside of the patient's body is theupper portion 24, which would lie very close to the patient's outerskin. At this point, turning to FIG. 7, the lower threaded end 44 ofextender 40 would then be threadably engaged to the upper threaded end23 of air delivery tube 12 to define an assembled unit for use on thepatient. The position of the housing 22 secured to the air delivery tube12 provides for easier access to assembly 10 in order to introduceforced air flow through the assembly and into the patient in order tokeep the patient with air supplied to his lungs, as seen in FIG. 8.

The means for introducing air flow may be an air flow line 60 secured tothe upper end 46 of extender 40, which would receive air from a manuallyoperated or power air pump means so that a constant flow of air isprovided. In the more extreme emergencies a person, as seen in FIG. 7,such as a doctor or medic, would simply blow into the upper end 24 ofthe air delivery tube 12, or following the threading of the housing 42thereto, manually blow air through the end 46 of housing 42 and airdelivery tube 12, until another more permanent source of fresh air wouldbe available.

As was stated earlier, when not in use, the assembly would be assembledas recited earlier, and could easily be transported in ones pocket,briefcase, or at the end of a key chain. The compact nature of theassembly provides for quick and easy access for emergency use, andfurther provides for easy insertion and delivery of air to the patientin need.

The following table lists the part numbers and part descriptions as usedherein and in the drawings attached hereto.

    ______________________________________                                        PARTS LIST                                                                    Description      Part No.                                                     ______________________________________                                        assembly          /10                                                         air delivery tube                                                                                12                                                         shaft portion       14                                                        annular sidewall   16                                                         flat edge           18                                                        first lower end    20                                                         enlarged housing   22                                                         phantom lines       23                                                        second upper end   24                                                         bore                 26                                                       trocar member       28                                                        rod portion         30                                                        lower end           32                                                        bevelled side      34                                                         second side        35                                                         enlarged portion  36                                                          outer threaded wall                                                                              37                                                         point                38                                                       top portion         39                                                        extendor            40                                                        bore                 41                                                       elongated housing                                                                                42                                                         first lower end    44                                                         key chain           45                                                        enlarged upper end                                                                               46                                                         cap member          47                                                        annular wall        48                                                        phantom lines       49                                                        interior            50                                                        wall                 51                                                       air flow passage   53                                                         trachea             55                                                        air flow line       60                                                        ______________________________________                                    

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within thescope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because manymodifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed inaccordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to beunderstood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as invention is:
 1. An apparatus for performingemergency tracheostomies, comprising:a) an air delivery tube, having abody portion, a first end, a second end, and a bore extending throughoutthe body portion to accommodate air flow through the air delivery tube;b) a trocar member including a body portion insertable through the boreof the air delivery tube, with a pointed end partially protruding out ofthe second lower end of the air delivery tube; c) extendor meansengageable to a first upper end of the air delivery tube defining ameans to provide air flow through the air delivery tube into a tracheaof a patient; and d) a lower cap portion engageable on a lower end ofthe .[.body portion of the trocar member.]. .Iadd.extendor means.Iaddend.so that the air delivery tube is maintained in the trocarmember during non use.
 2. The apparatus in claim 1, further comprising athreaded portion on an upper end of the air delivery tube for threadablyengaging the extendor means thereto for air delivery.
 3. The apparatusin claim 1, wherein the trocar member is removable from the air deliverytube before the extendor means is threadably engaged to the air deliverytube.
 4. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the extendor means furthercomprises a bore through a body portion of sufficient length anddiameter so as to accommodate the air delivery tube within the bore ofthe extendor means when the air delivery tube is not in use.
 5. Theapparatus in claim 1, wherein the trocar member is positioned within theair delivery tube when the air flow tube is housed within the extendormeans, and a top portion of the trocar member is threadably engaged to atop portion of the extender means during non-use.
 6. The apparatus inclaim 1, further comprising a loop on the top of the extendor means forthreading a key chain therethrough for carrying the apparatus duringnon-use.
 7. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the air delivery tube issufficiently small to allow the insertion of an endotracheal tube downthe patient's windpipe without having to remove the air delivery tubefrom the windpipe.
 8. The apparatus in claim 7, further comprising athreaded portion on an upper end of the air delivery tube for threadablyengaging the extendor portion thereto for air delivery after the trocarmember has been removed from the air delivery tube.
 9. The apparatus inclaim 7, wherein the extendor means further comprises a bore through abody portion of sufficient length and diameter so as to accommodate theair delivery tube within the bore of the extendor means when the airdelivery tube is not in use.
 10. The apparatus in claim 7, wherein thetrocar member is positioned within the air delivery tube when the airdelivery tube is housed within the extendor portion, and a top portionof the trocar member is threadably engaged to a top portion of theextendor portion during non-use.
 11. The apparatus in claim 7, furthercomprising a loop on the top of the extendor portion for threading a keychain therethrough for carrying the apparatus during non-use.
 12. Anapparatus for performing emergency tracheostomies, by inserting theapparatus into the trachea of a patient, the apparatus comprising:a) anair delivery tube, having a body portion, a first end, a second end, anda bore extending throughout the body portion to accommodate air flowthrough the air delivery tube; b) a trocar member including a bodyportion insertable through the bore of the air delivery tube, with apointed end partially protruding out of the second lower end of the tubefor defining a means to pierce the tracheal wall during insertion of aportion of the air delivery tube into the trachea; c) an extendorportion engageable to a first upper end of the air delivery tube afterthe tube has been inserted into a trachea, and the trocar member hasbeen removed from the air delivery tube, for providing a point ofdelivering air flow through the air delivery tube into a patient'strachea above the tracheal wall; and d) a lower cap portion engageableon a lower end of the .[.body portion of the trocar member.]..Iadd.extendor portion .Iaddend.so that the air .[.deliver.]..Iadd.delivery .Iaddend.tube is sealed in the trocar member duringnon-use.
 13. An apparatus for performing emergency tracheostomies, whichmay be carried by a person in a disassembled configuration, and may beused to perform tracheostomies in an assembled configuration, theapparatus in the disassembled configuration comprising:a) an airdelivery tube, having a body portion, a first end, a second end, and abore extending throughout the body portion to accommodate air flowthrough the air delivery tube; b) a trocar member including a bodyportion insertable through the bore of the air delivery tube, with afirst pointed end partially protruding out of the second lower end ofthe tube for defining a means to pierce a patient's tracheal wall duringinsertion of a portion of the air delivery tube into a patient's tracheaand a second upper end having an outer threaded wall protruding from thefirst end of the air delivery tube; c) an extendor portion having anelongated body portion, with a diameter sufficient to accommodate theair delivery tube housing the trocar therein, and an upper body portionof sufficient diameter to threadably engage the upper threaded wall ofthe trocar member; and d) a cap .Iadd.for .Iaddend.threadably .[.for.].engaging to the lower end of the extendor portion for sealing the lowerend of the extendor portion.